The long term goal of this research is to comprehensively understand the mechanisms and regulation of intracellular protein degradation. Protein degradation regulates nearly every aspect of normal cellular function. Dysfunction of protein degradation underlies many diseases including cancer, muscle wasting, and neuropathologies. Most protein degradation in eukaryotic cells is catalyzed by the 26S proteasome, the ATP dependent protease of the ubiquitin system. The immediate goal of this project is to determine the mechanisms by which ATP binding and hydrolysis mediate proteasome function. Specific Aim 1 will characterize biochemical features of ATP binding and hydrolysis by the 26S proteasome and define the relative qualitative and quantitative contributions of six different AAA ATPase subunits of the 26S proteasome to these processes. These experiments will provide essential new information about these subunits and support subsequent mechanistic studies on the roles of ATP and the AAA subunits in proteasome function. Specific Aim 2 will determine molecular mechanisms by which ATP binding to AAA subunits mediates both the assembly of the 26S proteasome from protease (20S proteasome) and regulatory (PA700/19S) sub complexes, and the activation of protease activity upon assembly, using biochemically defined in vitro systems. These experiments will test the hypothesis that proteasome assembly and activation require separate ATP binding events and define roles of individual AAA subunits in these processes. These experiments will distinguish between alternative models in which the six AAA subunits have either distinct/dedicated roles or multiple/redundant roles. Specific Aim 3 will define the role of ATP hydrolysis in 26S proteasome catalyzed protein degradation. These experiments will compare relative rates of degradation of variants of a model substrate that differ systematically in structural stability and proteasome targeting elements, such as structurally defined polyubiquitin chains. By comparing the qualitative and quantitative requirements for ATP hydrolysis and proteolysis, these experiments will deconvolute the multiple roles of ATP consumption in sub processes of proteolysis such as substrate binding, unfolding, translocation, and deubiquitylation. Completion of these aims will provide detailed information about mechanisms of proteolysis by the 26S proteasome and elucidate the fundamental role of ATP in mediating proteasome function. The long term goal of this research is to comprehensively understand the mechanisms and regulation of intracellular protein degradation. Protein degradation regulates nearly every aspect of normal cellular function. Dysfunction of protein degradation underlies many diseases including cancer, muscle wasting, and neuropathologies. Most protein degradation in eukaryotic cells is catalyzed by the 26S proteasome, the ATP dependent protease of the ubiquitin system. The immediate goal of this project is to determine the mechanisms by which ATP binding and hydrolysis mediate proteasome function.